Hypothyroxinemia and effectiveness of thyroxin supplementation in very low birth weight infants with abdominal distension and poor weight gain.

Background: Very low birth weight (VLBW) infants sometimes develop abdominal distension and poor weight gain. The influence of thyroid function on these symptoms in VLBW infants has not been reported.

Methods: In a retrospective study, 18 VLBW infants whose abdominal distension and poor weight gain did not improve with standard treatment were enrolled as subjects.

Selective excretion of anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 in a superantigen-inducing neonatal infectious disease.

Neonatal toxic shock syndrome (TSS)-like exanthematous disease (NTED) is an emerging neonatal infectious disease caused by TSS toxin-1 (TSST-1). Although NTED and TSS are caused by the same superantigenic exotoxin, NTED is less severe than TSS. The mechanism of this reduced severity in NTED has not been elucidated.